Former FBI Director Appointed Special Counsel in Russia Investigation

The U.S. Department of Justice has appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller as special counsel for the ongoing probe into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election.

This appointment comes on the heels of the dismissal of the most recent FBI Director, James Comey, last week. Mueller served as FBI director under President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama, before being replaced by Comey in 2013.

The turmoil in the U.S., considered to be South Korea’s closest ally, is fomenting at a time of increased political tension around the Korean peninsula. Between North Korea’s most recent ballistic missile tests and China’s political pressure on South Korea over the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, recently-elected South Korean president Moon Jae-in may need to navigate these difficult situations with less-than-ideal support from the U.S. government.